Govt urges diplomats, observers to be cautious about election observation

THE government has requested diplomats and foreign election observers to refrain from activities that could be construed as being biased or that may negatively impact the country’s ability to hold free and fair elections.
At a meeting held in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday with diplomatic corps based in Yangon and those concurrently accredited to Myanmar, as well as representatives from foreign election commissions, Union Minister for Foreign Affairs U Wunna Maung Lwin said that the diplomatic community has an obligation to abide by the Union Election Commission’s (UEC) Code of Conduct. He said it also has an obligation to adhere to the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and called for the cooperation and support of the diplomatic community for holding of general elections that are peaceful, credible and transparent.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chairman of the UEC U Tin Aye, also pledged that the upcoming election will ensure transparency and be devoid of bias.
A total of 6,065 candidates will compete for the seats in parliament. Male candidates make up the 86.8 percent of the total with 5,274 and women making up the rest with 800 (13.2%), according to statistics from the UEC.
The UEC will not hold elections in five of the country’s 330 townships, on security grounds.
Meanwhile, more than 1.03 million people who have been residing outside their constituencies submitted their applications to their ward and village constituencies in order to cast their ballots on the November 8 election from constituencies where they are currently staying, according to the UEC.